Backyard Edible and Medicinal Weeds
Debra Hultgren
I gave a recent workshop at the Goodwin State Forest about finding great plants to eat and use for home remedies right from outside the back door. We have a full growing season's worth of useful plants we typically consider weeds right under our noses!
These plants were something our grandparents and their parents knew so they could feed their families. However, we somehow lost the information when grocery stores and markets began to carry more typical farm foods. Even as home gardening developed, people pulled these weedy foods and medicines, in favor of the cultivated plants and seeds. We are missing out when we skip over these magnificent weedy friends!
Below is the power point presentation that includes some of the wonderful weeds and a little on their potential uses. There are a growing number of books on foraging for edible and medicinal plants. My reference list is also below but if you search the internet you will find many more. This is the "in" thing right now and hopefully a lasting trend.
References
Medicinal and Edible Weeds in Connecticut
Debra Hultgren, Community Herbalist
Angier, Bradford. 1974. Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books.
Bremness, Lesley. 1994. Herbs. New York: Dorling Kindersley.
Bruton-Seal, Julie, and Seal, Matthew. 2009. Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
Erichsen-Brown, Charlotte. Ed. 1984. Medicinal and Other Uses of North American Plants. New York: Dover Publications.
Fischer-Rizzi, Suzanne. 1996. Medicine of the Earth. Oregon: Rudra Press.
Foster, Steven, and Duke, James A. 2000. Eastern Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Hopkins, Hilary. 2001. Never Say it’s Just a Dandelion. Massachusetts: Jewelweed Books.
Jones, Pamela. 1991. Just Weeds. New York: Prentice Hall Press.
Lerner, Rebecca. 2013. Dandelion Hunter. Connecticut: Lyons Press.
Livingston, A.D., and Livingston, Hellen. 1993. Edible Plants and Animals. New York: Facts on File.
Newcomb, Lawrence. 1977. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. New York: Little, Brown And Company.
Peterson, Lee Allen. 1977. Edible Wild Plants. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Runyon, Linda. 2002. From Crabgrass Muffins to Pine Needle Tea. Washington: Health Research Books.
Thayer, Samuel. 2006. The Forager’s Harvest. Wisconsin: Forager’s Harvest Books.
Zachos, Ellen. 2013. Backyard Foraging. Massachusetts: Storey Publishing.
People to follow:
Adam Haritan, Naturalist-Learn Your Land- Facebook and Youtube
Doug Elliott, Naturalist, dougelliott.com
Debra Hultgren, Community Herbalist, Acornherbals.com; Acorn Herbals on Facebook